Buckeye based beer company to honor Vietnam Veterans with their own brew.
For immediate release: April 25, 2019
Update: To ensure the safety of the crew and the beer, this event has been postponed because of the impending inclement weather as of 5/2/2019. If you are in the Columbus area and plan on attending, please check back for a revised time and date.
To honor the Rakkasans, a battalion of the US Army’s renowned 101st Airborne Division, and the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Hamburger Hill, Ohio Veterans, Inc., a 501c3 organization in Columbus, Ohio, is donating 250 cases of a special batch of “Rakkasan Red Ale” brewed by Endeavor Brewing Company in Columbus, Ohio.
The beer, in “50th Anniversary of Hamburger Hill” commemorative cans, will be shipped to Ft. Campbell, KY, for the Rakkasan’s 50th Reunion of the Regimental Action on Dong Ap Bia/Hill 937/Hamburger Hill, during the 50th Anniversary/Reunion of the Weldon F. Honeycutt/Hamburger Hill Chapter of the 187th Regiment Association, set for May 14-18, 2019.
Huey Helicopter Event
On May 4, 2019, Ohio Veterans, Inc., along with a large participation of veterans throughout the central Ohio community, is sending, via a Vietnam-era Huey helicopter, a ceremonial shipment of “Rakkasan Red Ale” to Ft. Campbell, KY. The ceremony will feature the loading of approximately 75 cases of the beer onto an operational Vietnam-era UH1 Huey called “Dragonfly”, and “Dragonfly” and her cargo will depart Columbus at approximately 5:00p.
The Huey, Tail #563, served several tours of duty in Vietnam and will be flown by a four-person team of Vietnam Veterans.
"Dragonfly” is a pristine example of one of the most recognized helicopters in the world, and is part of the collection of Indiana Air Search And Rescue (IASAR) of Indianapolis, IN. IASAR is a 501c3 organization dedicated to community service, the preservation of historic aircraft, honoring veterans, and search and rescue. Go to www.IASAR.org for more information about this incredible organization.
Fly in the Huey
The event, at the Buckeye/Celeste Center lot of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair, will include 10-minute rides in “Dragonfly” for six passengers at a time from 10:00a until noon, and from 1:00p until 4:00p. Huey ride costs are $100 each for adults, $50 each for children 12 years and under, and WWII and Korean War Veterans ride free. Enter the event from 17th Avenue, parking is $5, and admission is free.
The Battle of Hamburger Hill
In May of 1969, during the American Vietnam War, a battalion of US soldiers from the US Army’s renowned 101st Airborne Division fought relentlessly for 10 days to wrest control of a non-descript mountain-top, in a remote area of Vietnam, from the battle-hardened 29th NVA regiment. After suffering horrendous casualties including many killed in action, the depleted and exhausted battalion successfully took control of the mountain and drove the North Vietnamese survivors scurrying into the jungle. These gallant American soldiers were the “Rakkasans” from the storied 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, the most decorated unit in the US Army. The mountain they fought for so valiantly and tenaciously was known to the Vietnamese as Dong Ap Bia, and on military maps was called Hill 937. To these Rakkasans, it became known as “Hamburger Hill”. The 50th Anniversary/Reunion
The National Rakkasan Association, in conjunction with the Weldon F. Honeycutt Chapter, will be hosting the 50th Anniversary/Reunion for the Weldon F. Honeycutt/Hamburger Hill Chapter of the 187th Regiment Association. The anniversary/reunion is set for May 14-18, 2019, and will include a celebration to honor the 50th Reunion of the Regimental Action on Dong Ap Bia/Hill 937/Hamburger Hill. This week-long event for survivors of the battle, and all veteran and active duty Rakkasans, will be held at Ft. Campbell, KY, the home of the renowned 101st Airborne Division.
To Volunteer for the Huey Helicopter Event:
The needs are many and the timeline is short! There are funds to be raised, volunteers to be organized, schedules to be set, and details to be tracked in order to carry out this mission to give “Rakkasan Red Ale” a proper send-off to Ft. Campbell, KY. To volunteer contact Melinda Cogley - 614.806.0536 - MelindaCogley@msn.com.
Donations to Ohio Veterans, Inc can be made by Clicking here